William Scrape-speare, Clearopathra, Lord Cold-emort and other hilarious city snow plow names
By Tricia Escobedo, CNN
(CNN) — No More Mr. Ice Guy. Ctrl Salt Delete. Betty WhiteOut. These are some of the creatively named city snow plows that are clearing the streets of Wichita, Kansas, this winter — to the delight of residents who can track their every move online.
Wichita’s tracker map often makes its way on social media posts: “My money’s on Clearopathra!” one user posted on X, formerly know as Twitter.
Wichita isn’t the only local government that’s added some levity into its winter weather response: transportation departments in Alaska, Nevada, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and cities including Chicago and Lincoln, Nebraska, are among many that hold “name that snowplow” contests often resulting in silly monikers like Minnesota’s “Han Snowlo.”
In some cities, the names often have references to local landmarks, dialects and stars, like “Stefon Diggsyouout” in Erie County, New York — a nod to Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver, Stefon Diggs.
Some areas, like Vermont and Boulder, Colorado, allow local schoolkids to choose the names each year.
These contests are not just a silly diversion — they help spotlight the important role of local transportation operation crews and plow operators who “work tirelessly … to keep our roads clear,” said Kirk Warren with Alaska’s transportation department.
The Nevada Department of Transportation started its snowplow contest in 2006, inspired by Scotland, which names it “gritter lorries”— trucks that spread sand or salt to treat roads ahead of winter weather.
Some of the Scottish names include “William Wall-Ice,” a reference to the Scottish resistance hero, and “Skid Vicious,” named after the punk rock legend Sid Vicious.
Check out some of our favorite snow plow names below:
Erie County, New York
Stefon Diggsyouout
Chicken Plow Main
Bills Make Me Wanna Plow
Blizzard Fillmore
Scotland
Sleetwood Mac
Melter Skelter
Robert Brrrns
Tam o’ Salter
Spreddie Van Halen
Sweet Child O’ Brine
Creedence Clear-Road Survival
Skid Vicious
Lord Coldemort
Carrie Bradthaw
Brinestone Ploughboy
Freeze Witherspoon
Sir David Attenbrrrrrr
Gritney Spears
Wichita, Kansas
Blizzard of Oz
Don’t Flurry Be Happy
The Big LePlowski
Plowthagorean Theorem
I Snow You Can do it
Great and Plowerful Oz
Lord Cold-emort
Clearopathra
Ctrl Salt Delete
Ohio
You’re Killin Me Squalls
Sir Plows-A-Lot
Darth Blader
O-H Snow U Didn’t
AH Push It .. Push It Real Good!
Scoop! There It is
Who Let The Plows Out
Fast and Flurrious
Boulder, Colorado
Deion Snowders
Lightning McPlow
Plowasaurus Rex
Ka-Plow!
Plowy McPlowface
Chicago
Mrs. O’Leary’s Plow
Salter Payton
Da Plow
Sears Plower
Sleet Home Chicago
Massachusetts
Edward Blizzardhands
Snow B Wan Kenobi
Sleetwood Mac
The Mayplower
Snow Monstah
Michigan
Ebenezer Scoop
Marco Plowo
Snowprah Winfrey
Fast and Flurryous
The Big Leplowski
Minnesota
Better Call Salt
Hans Snowlo
Blader Tot Hotdish
Blizzo
Nevada
Cirque du Snowleil
Nevada Thaw Enforcement
Snowbegone Kenobi
Da Plow
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